A priest and a soldier find a dead man in the middle of a desert with two mysterious rings in his mouth. Follow Briareus and Ekos as they try to solve a mystery of nefarious proportions. Contains language and violent imagery.

"Grailius
looked upon his children, knowing hatred lie within their hearts. He
looked into their eyes and saw the jealousy that writhed within their
souls. 'Dost thou rebuke me even as Oolaam's children rebuked
Him?' he spake unto them. They did not respond but instead cast
him out, so he went into the night, his heart sore and his mind
troubled.

"He
went into the mountains, hoping to find peace to assuage his troubled
mind. He soon realized he was lost and could not find his way back.
He cried out 'Oolaam, hear my plea! I am lost because my children
rebuke me; they, like Thy ungrateful progeny, hath found fault in all
things and see Thy creation with a jaundiced eye. Please help thy
faithful servant!' A light appeared to him, moving slowly through
the winding passes.

"The
light showed him the way through the mountains and he saw before him
a vast plain filled with deer, trees with fruit and a spring of fresh
water. His eyes could not believe what he saw, but he knew Oolaam
had provided for him. He stayed there for many years, living a
simple life; men and women would come to hear him speak of Oolaam,
and soon a town was formed. The people called him a prophet and
showered him with gifts of meat, wine and gold, which he accepted
with humility. They named the town after him to show their praise,
and many great monuments were erected there…"

The Book of Edicts, Chapter Five

"The Story of Grailius"

"Well,
I didn't quite know how to proceed," Estos said as he, Briareus,
Ekos and Ekos' former pentan
sat around a round table, eating bread and cheese with water. "When
the messenger came back and said you and Ekos were not there, I was a
little startled. So, I sent my poor staff to find some men who could
find you; I must admit, of course, I was grasping at straws."

Nero spoke up at that point. "His servant came up to me and said a
Regent required men who understood the streets. I had been out of
the pentan for some time then and I knew the streets a bit.
So, I followed the young man here and his Grace filled me in. When I
heard it involved you, legionari, it became personal."
Nero's aquiline face and swarthy skin placed his heritage as
western, but his mannerisms were strictly Oolani. He possessed a
medium build with thick arms and had, Briareus discovered, a hypnotic
voice, containing only the faintest trace of his western origin.
Shoulder length black hair and ice blue eyes made him more exotic
than he really was.

Estos nodded. "He was quite vehement in his desire to retrieve
you, and it appeared to me Oolaam provided the answer to my question.
He left to get the other members of your pentan and they
descended into the depths of a place I can only imagine."

Ekos
nodded grimly. "It was a horrific place, your Grace. Not a place
I would go willingly."

Nero nodded in agreement. "Ahyah, legionari. It really
wasn't much to it, though; we infiltrated the little grubby band of
thieves and figured out where you were, then secured your things and
got you out."

Estos
nodded, finishing off his water. "Well, you are safe now, so do
not concern yourself overmuch."

"Well,
I have one question: Why did you send a page to us?" Briareus said.
Despite the protests of the staff, he insisted upon getting up and
moving around, even though it pained him to do so.

"Well,
that involves another facet of the rescue. I received some
interesting information regarding Croesus, and altogether from a
highly unlikely source," Estos said, nodding curtly to Hannibal.
The giant man got up and moved to another room. "In fact, the
source was the one that told us where you two were."

Hannibal
re-entered the room, carrying a body over his shoulder. At first
Briareus thought it was a corpse, but as the big man dropped the body
onto a chair, he could see it was Birdie, who groaned and rolled his
head. "How…what?" he lamely gaped.

"Nero
found out who sold you out," Hannibal rumbled. "So we paid him a
visit." He motioned with a splayed hand towards Birdie's
unconscious form. "He had a slight problem with it and forced our
hand." He smiled broadly, flexing his massive shoulders. Briareus
was certain he could bend armor like paper after seeing how easily he
dispatched Xerxes. His dark brown hair and thick jaw did little to
reveal his ancestry, which aggravated Briareus in a minor way. He
was easily a head taller than Nero and dominated any room he was in.
However, perhaps because or in spite of his size, he was the quietest
man, not inclined to incessant or unnecessary chatter.

"We
should not take joy in the misery of others, Freeman Hannibal, no
matter who they may be," Estos admonished the giant, who blushed
and looked embarrassed, mumbling an apology. "I used a little
known orison to keep him from escaping. It simply would not do to
have him run away." He whispered a few words and something wispy
floated away from Birdie's body.

Briareus
did his best to hide his smile, but focused on Birdie as he gathered
his wits about himself. He looked around with an unfocused stare,
shaking his head quickly as if waking; which was, in fact, the case.
"Wot wot? Where 'm I?"

"You
are currently in a location where we may speak," Briareus said,
unwilling to jeopardize Estos' home. "You and I have a lot to
discuss, Birdie."

Birdie
seemed to notice Briareus for the first time and actually cringed.
"Oh, bloody 'ell," he said as he hung his head. "Right…what
d'ye want?"

"The
information on Croesus."

Birdie
blinked a moment, but nodded slowly. "Yar. I guess I do owe it
t'ye." He took a deep breath. "Keep in mind me life ain't
wurf nuffin' if I tells ye what I know, as sum'un wants t'make
sure 'at no one even remembers 'is name."

"How
strange. Someone is trying to erase any reference to him?"

Birdie
nodded. "One o'me boys were jumped shortly after I looked into
it. 'E may not make it, 'cuz 'is face is all mashed up." He
sighed. "Signed me on to a nasty one, you did." He thought for
a moment and then spoke to the ceiling. "Well, lemme see. 'Is
muvver was dragged out fer spawn worship; they's trump charges, but
no one's seen 'er, though. No uvver relations. Most people deny
'e even existed; lots o' money is changin' hands 'cause
summon is wantin' 'im t' go away real bad, if ye knows what I
mean. One bloke, 'owever, tol' us 'e saw Croesus an' a fella
workin' togevver a lot outside of caravan watchin'. 'E was
real keen on makin' sure I didn't reveal 'is name, seein' as
'ow anyone who talks turns up dead."

"Who
is the fellow he was working with?"

"'Is
name is Xylon."

Nero
sucked in breath through his teeth. Briareus looked over at him, but
the exotic warrior shook his head. "So, I think I can safely
assume this Xylon fellow is bad news?"

Birdie
thought. "As far as I know, Croesus was a two bit bruiser fer'
tha' most part, never really doin' nuffin' but bein' muscle.
Then 'e disappears for a few months. 'E comes back wiv' new
weapons, armor an' 'e's a lot better, too. Even did a turn
watchin' Leonidas. 'E was real picky wiv' 'is jobs. Then 'e
starts workin' fer tha' caravans, 'bout a monf or two ago. 'E'd
be gone fer a few weeks, then come back an' do it again." He
shrugged. "Not sure why summon 'ud pay t'git all that good
stuff an' work caravans, but there it is."

"Interesting…he
got money and training and ended up working on caravans," Briareus
mused. "Did he watch specific caravans, or stick with a particular
caravan company?"

"Nope.
Just tha' ones that went souf, 'parently."

Briareus'
head shot up, accompanied with some lingering pain. "South? As in
towards the Wastes?"

Briareus
thought for a bit. "I would like to know how Xylon fits into this.
Someone with that much money and time should be visible. Do any of
you know who he works for, if any?" The former Templars shook
their heads. "Curses. It would be too easy, I guess."

Birdie
looked sheepish again. "Um, I know who 'e works for."

He
arched an eyebrow at this admission. "Birdie…you normally don't
go above and beyond a request like that."

"Call
it profesh'nal curiousity."

"Fine;
we'll call it anything you like. Who does he work for?"

"'E
works for one o' them Regents."

Silence
blossomed within the room.

It
was a very long time before Briareus broke the still air. "Birdie,
are you sure about that?"

Birdie
was taken away and the soldiers disappeared to check on various
things, leaving Briareus and Estos in the spartan study. The two
were sipping steaming hot tea, lost in their thoughts. The
occasional sip and the delicate sound of china was all that could be
heard for a moment in time.

A
soft sigh signaled Estos was about to speak. "You certainly have
an unusual ability to get yourself into strange situations."

Briareus
chuckled softly. "Hardly by my own design, you must admit."

"True,"
Estos admitted ruefully. "But we are at a crossroads, I think.
Where do we go from here?"

Briareus
stood up and stretched, wincing as his tender injuries reminded him
of their presence. "We think." He paused and began to pace.
"Xylon is a Templar that works for a Regent; we don't know whom.
He trained Croesus and kept him around for an unknown reason.
Croesus looked for the rings under the guise of a caravan guard."
He paused, frowning. "But was he acting independently, or was he
operating under orders from Xylon?"

"I
don't think that can be answered yet."

"I
was speaking rhetorically; my apologies. Why was Croesus after the
rings? If he was acting under orders, why did the other person want
the rings?" He frowned. "This is much more convoluted than it
seemed."

"You
know, I am curious to know about these rings you mentioned. Are they
very expensive looking?"

"I
never did describe them, did I?" Briareus sheepishly admitted.
"Both of them were large, gold rings; one of them had a large ruby
in the center, with symbols of Oolaam etched around it, while the
other was unadorned except for scenes of men and women around the
center."

Estos
stiffened. "Are you sure it was ruby? Could it have been a red
garnet or a stone of a similar type?"

"I
am fairly sure it was a ruby; it had that deep, red color common to
that type," Briareus admitted slowly, curious to his friend's
sudden interest. "I assume it sounds familiar? It looked familiar
to me and Father Galius."

Estos
got up and rummaged through his desk for a moment. He finally
retrieved a scroll from a pigeonhole and brought it over; unfurling
it, he showed the contents to Briareus. "Is this the ring you
saw?"

"Yes!
That is the ring!"

Estos
sat down with a shocked look. "Then it was him after all…."

"What
do you mean? Who? And who owns that ring?"

"That
man you found in the desert? That was the Warden of the Hierarch.
And the ring -"

"-
is the Ring of the Hierarch," Briareus finished, remembering at
last where he had seen it. "But why in name of Oolaam would the
Warden be so far away from Grailius, and why have the Ring of the
Hierarch in his mouth?"

"I
suspect the other was his ring, the Ring of the Warder. I have never
had a chance to examine it up close, but it sounds about right in
description. As far as the rings being in his mouth, I think I can
answer that." He paused for a moment. "There was a story that
made the rounds at the university quite a few years ago; it dealt
with a newly discovered transcript that detailed a siege of a
monastery many generations ago, in the northern provinces. It was
later determined to be melodramatic hearsay and quite possibly a
hoax, but it involved a particularly sensational tale relating how
several escapees put their jewelry in their mouths so they would not
reflect the light of the attacker's torches."

"They
didn't have pouches back then?"

"As
I said, it was melodramatic," he said as he shrugged. "It's not
supposed to make sense. In any event, the Warder traveled back and
forth between the Hierarch and the university on any number of
errands; it is very likely he heard the story."

"I
had suspected he didn't want bandits to see them, but that works just
as well. Given the fact that he was probably delusional from the
exposure and lack of appropriate dress for the climate, he might have
thought it was a wonderful idea. I'm just glad he didn't swallow
them."

"That's
rather morbid of you."

"Well,
it's true," he said as he paused. "So, let us assume for the
sake of argument that it was the Warder we saw and those rings were
the ones we've mentioned. The obvious question that begs to be asked
is: Why?"

"I
think I can answer that as well," Estos replied with a grimace.
"About two months ago several Regents and I went to see His
Holiness, mainly to conduct some important business, but also to
check on his health."

"And
you call me morbid?"

"We
are human, Briareus; we are always concerned with our fellow man if
he is sick, especially if that man happens to be the voice of
Oolaam," Estos retorted in an injured tone. "In any event, I
noticed the Warder was not hovering nearby as he usually did; in
fact, he was markedly absent. When I asked His Holiness about it, he
waved it off, saying the Warder was out 'on personal business'. I
didn't think much of it until a chance conversation with a fellow
Regent gave me a different idea…

"I
began to notice some of the Regents were getting very cold responses
from some of the others. When I inquired about it, I discovered not
three days prior to our visit, a group of Regents had also gone to
see the Hierarch, but from what I was told their reasons were wholly
selfish and predatory. Four of them have already announced their
intention to run for the position of Hierarch."

"My
goodness. Tact is not one of their strong points, I take it."

"No,
it is not. In any event, there was an exchange of words between the
Warder and one of the Regents regarding their shameful behavior; I
never found out whom. It was done away from the Hierarch, naturally,
so no other witnesses were nearby; at least, none that could be
counted upon to give a neutral statement."

"Damn!
Uh...Sorry, your Grace," Briareus apologized quickly. "So, the
Warder was there when the first delegation arrived, but disappeared
between their visit and yours. Two months pass and he ends up dead
in the Wastes." He frowned. "He took a long time to get there.
But that could be explained by his lack of experience, I suppose."

"He
was not accustomed to traveling, that is certain. He would go with
the Hierarch on the rare trip and usually surrounded by a flock of
attendants and assorted staff."

"I
am curious about his motives for taking the ring. It is highly
improbable he stole them with the intent to sell them; where would he
do that? They are too unique, too priceless for any fence to assign
a price."

"What
in the world is a 'fence'?"

Briareus
laughed. "A fence is a person who sells stolen goods."

"Oh."

"Okay,
so we can safely eliminate theft with eventual sale. What else could
motivate him to take the ring?"

Estos
frowned as potential ideas flitted through his mind. "I do not
know. It is priceless; no one would willingly take it if they knew
what it was. If they knew he had stolen it they would turn him in
immediately."

"Does
the ring have any particular significance?"

"Other
than being a relic, a mark of station and a priceless artifact,
nothing else really," the Regent replied dryly. "It is an icon
of the position. It is passed down from Hierarch to Hierarch, ever
since it was commissioned and made."

"Theft!"
Briareus blurted, startling Estos. "What if he was trying to
implicate a Regent?"

"That
would be highly unorthodox and very illegal, Briareus, not to mention
wholly unsatisfactory from a legal perspective. I cannot see the
Warder doing such a thing."

"You
said yourself he had words with a Regent; if you were able to find
out about their motives I am sure he picked up on it, or overheard
his Holiness talking about it. What if he took the ring to cast
doubt upon the group? You said some of them were already promoting
themselves as the next Hierarch; what if he wanted to stain their
reputations, thereby preventing them from succession?"

Estos
pondered the idea even though he was not entirely sold on it. "It
is possible," he admitted reluctantly, "but I still find it
hard to swallow."

"It
makes sense, even though the method leaves much to be desired."

"That
is true," Estos remarked.

They
both lapsed into silence.

* * * * *

At
the same time, Ekos was becoming reacquainted with his former pentan.
They were gathered in an inn, drinking and reminiscing about old
times. Nero naturally dominated the conversation, offering
embellished accounts of their past exploits with exaggerated or
completely imagined events. Inevitably the stories would end with
boisterous laughter, fists pounding the table; sometimes a toast
would be offered to times past. Hannibal occasionally offered a
rumbling correction while Romulus and Julius sat and smiled
knowingly.

After
a particularly sordid tale of Hannibal's supposed (and completely
exaggerated) exploits involving a lonely barmaid of questionable
virtue and a wayward goat (which caused the entire table to collapse
with undisguised mirth and Hannibal to blush furiously), Ekos took
advantage of the lull in conversation and asked, "So, what have
your four been doing since I…left?"

Nero
arched an eyebrow. "Is that what we are calling it, legionari?"

"You
know what I mean, Nero."

He
shrugged in response. "Well, after you were forced out, we were
split up and put into different pentani. Hannibal and Julius
got the better end of the deal, as they were placed in the same
pentan, but Romulus and I were not so lucky."

"It
was bad," Hannibal rumbled laconically.

"We
had to deal with a lot of gossip and preconceived ideas of what
exactly happened," Romulus stated quietly. "Tongues wagged a
great deal after the incident with the pagans." Romulus was just
as quiet as Hannibal; the other men would often make playful bets on
who would speak less. His intense face and studious manner placed
him as the most knowledgeable of the group; his ability in the field
of medicine nominated him the medic of the group. The other men
suspected he was from the northern reaches, but no one felt it was
his place to ask.

"I
guarantee it was Narcissus and his goons," Nero muttered savagely.
"Only they would paint us as barbarians."

"My
superior said we was tha' ones that killed 'em," Julius
offered. While some people strove to wean themselves away from the
dialect of the Docks, Julius almost seemed to take pride in it. His
blond curly hair bounced as he fiddled with something on his armor;
he was always moving, always in motion. Paradoxically he was the
most proficient man with the crossbow; his aim had saved Ekos and the
other men on several occasions. "Needless t' say I 'ad a few
issues wiv' 'im, so we settled 'em on tha' outskirts."

"Which
gave them the impetus to give you a dishonorable discharge," Nero
added testily.

Julius
shrugged while drinking his wine. "Eh, it was getting' borin'
anyway."

Ekos laughed heartily. "You know, I don't think any of us truly
belonged in the ranks of the Templari. We're too jaded, I
think." The other men raised their glasses in agreement.

A
young boy walked up to them with a scroll in hand. "Um, sir? This
is for you."

Ekos
looked surprised as he took the scroll and dropped a few coins in the
urchin's hand. He unfurled the rather new parchment and scanned
the lines, a scowl creasing his face the further he read. The men
gathered around him knew that face all too well and understood
something important was transpiring.

"We
need to speak to Briareus," the grizzled veteran rumbled as he
wadded up the missive and threw it into the fire. "Narcissus has
made his move."

* * * * *

"Basically,
Narcissus wrote me and said you would be taking a long trip," Ekos
said to Briareus as the two sat in the study. The others had
gathered there as well, since Ekos refused to relay the story until
he spoke to Briareus. "Apparently he managed to get you nominated
for Fatherhood of Thermopylae Monastery."

Estos
snorted. "That is highly doubtful and very irregular. The
prospect must go before a panel to determine his worth as a
candidate, and only then is he placed as a nominee for the position."

"Well,
knowing him he's managed to cook something up."

A
page opened the door and silently entered, handing a scroll to
Briareus and departing without a word. Briareus opened up the scroll
and perused the contents, frowning towards the end. "It seems you
were correct, Ekos. Apparently, the Regent Ikoles has heard so many
good things about me he nominated me in my absence. It has been done
before although it is, as Estos has stated, very irregular."

"Especially
considering Regent Ikoles is approaching 60 and sleeps half the time
during the conferences," Estos added. "I can assure you he has
no idea who you are."

"This
does indicate something, however," Nero muttered. "I think
you're making someone rather uncomfortable, Briareus, and that
means you need to be out of the way."

"Why?
We haven't done anything."

"True,
but the potential for mischief on our part is too great to consider.
That means the potential for embarrassment is just as great on his
side."

"His?"

Nero
shrugged. "Yes. This smells of a plot hatched by a man. Women
are too flighty for this sort of intrigue." Estos rolled his eyes
and uttered a silent prayer as Briareus hid a smile. "In any
event, this means we are on the right track."

Ekos
frowned. "I would agree, but what track? We don't even know
what's going on."

"That
may be solved in due time, but not at the moment," Briareus said
with a sigh. "I have to go to Thermopylae, regardless; not going
would look poorly on his Grace and I certainly don't wish to
besmirch his name, even if this was done without his knowledge or
consent."

Ekos
scowled darkly as he replied, "Well, I guess that means I'm going
along with you."

"No,
you aren't."

"What?"

"You
are going to stay here and continue working on this; we need to know
what part Xylon plays in all this. For all we know he works for
Ikoles."

"Who
will protect you?"

"I
have my ways," Briareus said mysteriously. Ekos rolled his eyes as
he continued, "I need you and your men to work that angle and give
all information to Estos, who will in turn send me updates while I
sort this out."

Estos
cleared his throat softly. "Briareus, a thought just occurred to
me. You are well known at the monastery and reasonably respected; if
your nomination became an appointment you would not be able to leave
except under specific circumstances."

Briareus
frowned momentarily. "That is true. They would get me out of the
way permanently." He waved a hand. "It really is of no import;
a Father is supposed to be of 'virtuous thought and deed', a
descriptor which definitely doesn't adhere to me." The other men
looked at him curiously but said nothing; if he noticed he did not
indicate such.

Estos
clapped his hands. "Well, I think we shall have to proceed as
instructed, then. I will send you an update once we get the
information. However, there is one issue which needs to be resolved
immediately: What do we do with Birdie? I have already kept him here
far too long; legal precepts must be observed and holding him against
his will is definitely against the law."

Briareus
shrugged as he stood up. "Let him go."

Nero
arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Brother? He could reveal our
discussions."

"No,
he won't. Despite his poor choice of profession, he does have some
scruples. He won't reveal anything because he was humiliated when
you captured him and would rather die than tell someone he was
caught."

"If
you say so," Ekos added, but his voice betrayed doubt. The
expressions on everyone's face indicated they felt the same way.

* * * * *

Estos
sat at his desk, examining a scroll brought to him by a page from the
temple. A bit of a sticky problem, he thought as he stretched out
the ancient, crackling parchment and secured the edges. They found
this one in the back of an abandoned desk in the basement; it was
written in a foreign language that no one seemed to know. He had
several scrolls beside him, full of translated texts and indicators
for the rare languages. It appeared to be some sort of elf script at
first, but he could not be sure.

He
idly wondered how Briareus was doing. A week had passed since he
left and still no one had discovered anything, although a letter was
sent describing the situation as it stood. The quiet one, Hannibal,
had managed to track down a few men who had worked with Croesus, but
he hadn't managed to uncover anything important. Estos knew the
taciturn giant was a great deal more aware than he let on, and so had
confidence in his ability to glean any information from the men.

He
heard the door open much to his irritation; his pages knew to knock
before entering. He turned around to deliver a blistering rebuke but
stopped, as three burly, unkempt men bolted towards him, hands
outstretched. He started to chant an orison but the men were
prepared for such a contingency; one disposed of all finesse and
smashed him in the mouth with a meaty fist. As the elderly Regent
flew back they descended upon him, darkness filling his vision.

* * * * *

Ekos
was sitting at a table in an inn, which was located near the Docks.
He was anxiously waiting to hear from Nero and Hannibal, both of whom
had gone out to investigate several leads. Romulus had remained with
him while Julius had left earlier in the day. He drummed thick
fingers on the scarred table, waiting patiently while Romulus
silently read a small book.

Nero
suddenly appeared at the doorway and proceeded straight for the
table, Hannibal in tow. The slender warrior ordered some tea for
both of them when they sat down, waiting until the barmaid had left
before speaking. "Well, we had an interesting, yet depressing
day," Nero started. "Three men we were searching for; just three
men! Imagine our surprise when we discovered two of them have
mysteriously and suddenly 'left town' and one has not been seen
in several days."

Ekos
arched an eyebrow. "Then why are you smiling like that?"

"We
tracked down the one that had simply disappeared; we eventually found
him hiding out in some shanty in the Docks. Once we confirmed his
identity we spoke at length."

"And?"

"He
couldn't tell us much, other than he was fearful for his life
because everyone else was disappearing. He did confirm a few points
regarding Croesus, however," he said as he received his tea.
"Croesus had instructions to follow all caravans going to the
Wastes, even to the point of turning down a lucrative permanent
position up north. He didn't mention why Croesus behaved that way,
but I think we can safely assume the reason." He sipped on his
drink before continuing. "I'm afraid this was an empty camp,
legionari."

Ekos
grunted but did nothing to interrupt the silence hanging over the
table.

"Where's
Julius?" Nero asked after a moment.

"Don't
know. He just left and gave some sort of nonsensical reason like he
normally does."

"Oh."

At
that moment Julius sauntered in, a crooked grin on his face. Ekos
arched an eyebrow as the young man sat down. "I take it you have
something interesting to tell us?"

"Oh,
nuffin, really," the young man said flippantly, receiving his tea
and waiting until the barmaid left. "I sawr 'im goin' into a
'ouse that doubles as a brothel when tha' priests aren't
lookin'." His eyes twinkled with restrained mirth.

Everyone's
eyebrows shot up at this unexpected news. "Would you remember
where the house is if we had to go there again?" Ekos asked.

"Yar,"
Julius affirmed.

"Good.
It never hurts to have some sort of edge, especially when it comes
to him." He looked around. "Well, it looks like will have
nothing for today's efforts. Let's finish our tea and report
back to his Grace."

* * * * *

As
they approached the unassuming house and opened the gate, their
instincts told them something was wrong before they were conscious of
the fact. All of them stiffened and looked around warily, unsure
what was wrong but knowing something was amiss.

Julius
pulled out his crossbow and pointed towards the door, which was
cracked open by the barest of margins. Ekos nodded and motioned to
him and Hannibal, pointing towards the back. The two nodded and went
to that direction. He then motioned to Nero and Romulus to follow
him, and proceeded through the gate. They sidled up to the walls on
either side of the door, listening carefully for any sounds and
watching for movement. Ekos looked at the two other men and nodded,
then stealthily made his way inside.

He peered through the darkness and saw two small forms on the floor.
He frowned as he motioned to the others to join him. He proceeded
down the hall to make sure no one was nearby and then returned.

Romulus
was kneeling between the two forms to examine them. "Broken neck
on this one…Heavy object on the other," he whispered softly.
Ekos recognized them as the two pages that helped Estos, and his
heart grew heavy with the knowledge. He motioned down the hall with
his head and the three moved more silently than one would expect from
three armored men.

They
searched each room one by one until they reached the study. Readying
their weapons they burst in, only to feel disappointment and regret
when they saw the overturned desk and scattered scrolls, but no
Regent. They sheathed their weapons and began to investigate;
Romulus left to inform Hannibal and Julius of the update. Ekos was
examining the scrolls, hoping to find some sort of information, when
Nero cleared his throat. "Legionari, here is a letter."
He held an unfurled scroll in his hands; it was an old scroll on one
side with some crude lettering on the other. Ekos snarled when he
saw how uncaring the intruders had been and took the letter out of
Nero's hands; while he was certainly no student of history, such an
uncaring attitude was uncalled for.

Ekos,
(It read)

Bring
Briareus back to me in chains within one day, or his cherished Regent
will meet Oolaam sooner than expected.

Leonidas

The
other men had entered, awestruck at the mess inside the study. Ekos
wordlessly handed the missive to Hannibal, who read it and passed it
on. After all of them had ready it, they looked at each other and
instinctively knew what their next course of action would be.

* * * * *

The
rain was falling hard onto the cobbled stone streets while the black,
pendulous clouds blotted out all light from the skies. A lone man
stood in a wasted, thin shack, which succeeded in remaining erect and
failing in everything else. He looked miserable in the rain, his
shoulders hunched up and a crudely made cloak wrapped around him.

The
former pentan sat across the street, similarly hunched
underneath a crude overhang. The only difference was these men were
accustomed to such situations and felt neither irritation nor were
bothered by discomfort, which was more than what could be said for
the lone watchman. Julius in particular had been sitting there for
several hours, at least, watching the main entrance to the
underground world that Ekos had only recently escaped from. Water
beaded immediately on his crossbow as he glanced up and down the
street, making sure it was clear before the men made their move.

"Julius,"
Ekos whispered, daring to speak a little loud because of the noisy
rain, "how long has he been sitting there?"

"For
a bit, actually. I 'eard tha' evenin' mass bell ring a while ago; 'e
'adn't moved yet, even though 'e's a squirrelly fella'. Keeps
lookin' back at tha' door."

"Oh."
He chuckled as his eyes narrowed. "Alright, everyone, I think
I know how we will do this. Julius and Nero will stay here while the
others come with me and we'll see if we can't dispatch the nervy
guard without fuss or mess; if he runs, Julius, kill him." The
blond mop of wet, curly hair nodded. "Alright, let's move it!"

Julius watched the scene unfold as the other men stole out into the
darkness, making as little noise as possible (given the fact they
were wearing chain instead of their usual plate mail made things a
little easier). He watched them slink into an alley and disappear
into the darkness. A part of him wished they would do things the
honorable way, but he realized they had already passed that point a
long time ago.

Suddenly,
a large blob of shadow detached from the street near the watchman and
bolted towards the fragile shack. The pitiful man was taken
completely by surprise as a mass of muscle and metal tackled him and
pinned him to the ground. Julius chuckled to himself. "I guess
they got it," he muttered as he stole across the street with
Nero close behind. They approached the writhing mass of arms, legs
and cloaks when it abruptly disengaged, revealing the guardsman on
the muddy ground, unconscious. Without a word Hannibal hoisted the
body over his shoulder and dropped him off in a dark corner. The men
checked each other just in case and stole into the dark entryway
afterward.

The
darkness was welcome, even though it was also quite cold. They
managed to find the trapdoor leading down into the sewers and managed
not to make too much noise in their descent. They felt a kinship to
the elder Regent, and knew his life depended on their success.

They
proceeded down an empty sewer tunnel, hands on their weapons and
nerves taut with anticipation. Every corner was taken slowly, every
man ready to inflict pain or death upon their enemies. However, it
was rather quiet in the tunnels, which worried Ekos greatly. Had
they been discovered? Did someone find out about their plot? His
mind worked on the problem and found it lacking for a solution.

It
wasn't until he sniffed the air that he realized something was amiss.
He held up a hand to stop their progress as he sniffed air. He
withdrew and moved over to Romulus, whom it was agreed had the best
sense of smell. "Romulus, I smell blood. Do you smell it?"
Romulus paused to sniff the air and then nodded fervently. The men
knew what that meant and proceeded accordingly. It wasn't until they
reached an "L" shaped corridor that Julius pointed ahead
towards the bend; Ekos could see a thick rivulet of blood on the
ground. He edged forward to the corner and looked around for a brief
moment.

Blood
coated the halls, congealing on the dirty floor, while bodies of
thieves lay in the red pools, terrible wounds on their body. They
were annihilated, Ekos thought with a shock. He motioned to the
others to move slowly and carefully, proceeding ahead to forge a path
through the gristly field.

They
eventually made their way to the cells where Ekos and Briareus had
been incarcerated once before. Throughout the halls the carnage was
the same, and it was beginning to resemble an abattoir. They began
to investigate each cell, checking for the aged Regent, hoping this
massacre did not include him. A hiss from Nero brought everyone over
to the cell he was inspecting.

A
body lay on the ground, covered with a dirty sheet. At first the
band of warriors thought it was the one they were looking for, but
Ekos was the first to see the figure was too large. In fact, as the
person sat up, he looked almost familiar –

"Ekos?
'Annibal?" Birdie blinked at the group. His face was a mass of
bruises with one eye almost swollen shut; his thick arms gave
evidence of numerous beatings. "Is 'at you?"

"Yes,
Birdie. What in the Twelve Hells are you doing here?"

He
scrambled up and limped over to the bars, his face contorted in
anger. "After you sorry lot dropped me off, Leonidas thought I 'ad
turned parrot, so 'e brought me in t' fin' out what it was I
'ad said. They didn't b'lieve me, as you kin see."

Ekos
felt badly for him. "I'm sorry, Birdie. We didn't know they
would do that." Nero had apparently located some keys and opened
the cell.

"Well,
there ain't much else, I s'pose; at least ye' came t' save
me." He limped over to a corpse and kicked it in delayed
frustration.

"Huh?
We didn't know you were here until we saw you."

"Wot?
You didn' get my message?"

"What
message? We didn't receive any message; we're here to get
Estos."

"Estos?!
What is 'e doin' 'ere?" he exclaimed, a look of shock on his
face.

"Leonidas
kidnapped him and we're getting him back," Ekos replied with a
bit of irritation.

Birdie
looked around at the carnage with new eyes. "You mean you lot
didn't do this?"

"No.
You don't know either?"

"Nope.
I was out cold until recently."

Ekos
shrugged. "As long as the Regent is unharmed, I don't think I
will shed many tears," he said as he motioned to the other men.
"Come on, then. Let's find him."

The
group moved into the depths of the warrens, quickly becoming inured
to the bloodshed presented before them. Birdie managed to get a
small sword and held it in a competent manner. He muttered something
to himself, catching Nero's attention. "What is it, Birdie?"

"Well,
sir, I've been thinkin'…I'm wonderin' if this is tha'
work o' tha' Circle."

"The
'Circle'?"

"Yeah.
'Ey step in when thieves git too uppity or do sumfin' really
bad." His voice held a bit of awe and fear. "Kidnappin' a
Regent is real bad."

"Why?"
Julius pitched in, his curiousity piqued.

Birdie
gazed carefully at a branching tunnel before resuming. "Think
'bout it. A Regent gets kidnapped, tha' Templari git
involved. Bad news fer all thieves. Tha' Circle would send one a'
their enforcers t' come in an' lay down tha' law an' punish
tha' guilty; in this case," he paused as he motioned towards a
group of bodies on the floor, "tha' entire den."

"There
was a guy that went in b'fore you showed up, remember? I
tol' you 'bout 'im." His voice held a bit of awe as well.

Nero
cut in. "Supposition and possibility, Julius. We don't know if
the two events are connected."

"True.
Still, it's sumthin' t' consider."

No
one noticed Romulus reach down and quickly examine a corpse.

The
conversation fell silent until they reached the doors leading into
the main chamber. Ekos remembered his time here with a shudder, the
memories flooding his consciousness as he fought back the feelings of
rage and revenge. With a glance to his men, he readied himself and
opened the doors to reveal a charnel house beyond.

Butchery
was not the appropriate word, given the circumstances involving the
condition of the main room. Bodies lay everywhere, glassy eyes
staring out into oblivion. Even the walls seemed to bleed; blood
slowly crawled down to mingle with the mess on the floor. In the
middle of it reclined the bloated emperor himself; only his
prodigious size gave away his identity because his face was scarred
beyond recognition. The mass of flesh remained there, unmoving and
unmovable, ruler of nothing and no one. None of the attendants had
been spared; even the young men that surrounded the dais were
brutally slain where they stood. Ekos detachedly noticed most of
them were crowded into a corner, as if cut down while cowering in
fear. He realized it was an apt, if sad, comment on their fear
filled lives. The smell of blood filled the air with a fetid cloud
of brutality which gave even the seasoned warriors a moment to pause.

The
men, however, were not easily hindered; Ekos remained in the main
room while the others broke off to investigate side rooms. Romulus
moved over to his side and looked around. "Legionari, some
of these bodies still retain a trace of heat within them. This
happened very recently," he murmured in a soft voice.

Ekos
nodded, also reluctant to speak loudly, "I suspected as much."

Hannibal
walked out of a room carrying Estos in his arms; the elderly Regent
had evidence of a bruise on his cheek and was unconscious, but was
otherwise unharmed. Ekos felt relief wash over him. "Good. Come
on, let's get out of here."

The
band of men left as quietly as they entered and left the brutal scene
in darkness.

* * * * *

"I'm
fine, really," Estos protested weakly as Romulus dabbed a cloth on
his face. "It is nothing more than a bruise."

"Which
can mask other injuries, your Grace," Romulus replied quietly and
firmly. "Legionari Ekos and Brother Briareus would not
forgive me if you died through my lack of foresight."

Estos
mumbled something but suffered through the experience. The Templari
investigators had already come and wrote his statement, taking
note of the dead pages. While they were initially grateful Ekos and
his men had rescued the Regent and eagerly wrote down their witness
statements, one of the officers eventually recognized the former
pentan and their attitudes became brusque. Ekos and his men
were quite aware of the sentiment and quietly excused themselves
after their part was done; reappearing once the men had left.

"It
would appear so." Estos paused, wincing as Romulus examined his
head. "So, in essence, this Leonidas fellow kidnapped me to get
Briareus? How foolish of him to think you men would stand here and
do nothing."

"Very
foolish," Hannibal rumbled.

"I
regret, of course, my pages were killed during their intrusion," he
said in a thick voice. "They had no part to play in this; why in
Oolaam's name would they harm them?"

"Potential
witnesses," Nero interjected. "They could identify the men in
court. It is a sad event, to be certain, but one whose outcome is
unfortunately certain."

"Where
is Birdie?"

"He's
resting in a separate room at the moment. He was worse off than you,
but he's sleeping it off."

Estos
pursed his lips. "From what you have said I don't think his life
has much weight in the street any longer." He sighed, his
weariness audible. "He will have to stay here, if only to keep him
from being killed. I would not be surprised if he is blamed for this
event, even though it is, apparently, this mysterious 'Circle'
which has committed the deed."

Ekos
frowned while scratching his chin. "I'm still not sold on this
idea of this 'Circle', to be honest. You did not see the sheer
amount of destruction inflicted upon the men in the warrens, your
Grace; it required an army, not one man."

"That
may be, Ekos, but at this point in time we must take what Birdie says
to be truth until proven otherwise."

"I
suppose," Ekos drawled slowly.

Estos
smiled wanly. "I can understand your reluctance, even though I was
not witness to the scene. Ease your conscience; we do not doubt or
contest your wisdom and experience in these matters. Now, gentlemen,
the time for discussion is over." He shooed them out, retreated to
his cot and sleep soon enveloped his consciousness.

* * * * *

A
letter arrived for Estos several weeks later, during one of the
frequent thunderstorms that came during this time of the season. The
wind howled through streets and across windows while the rain slammed
against the shutters in a constant staccato. Estos was working on a
translation when his new page knocked on his door, bringing the
scrolled parchment when permitted to enter. Estos was grateful for
the new pages but a little irritated with their inexperience; in time
all of them would know how to work around each other, but in the
meantime it was trial and error. He opened the parchment and began
to read.

Dear
Estos,

I
hope this letter finds you in good spirits. All is well at this
time. While on the trip to the monastery I thought of the situation
and tried to think of other things to consider. I also wondered if
releasing Birdie would be a good idea, as his sudden disappearance
may be seen by many as suspicious; he has wronged many people, many
of whom would like nothing more than to make him pay. You might want
to have Julius check on him just in case.

I
am beginning to doubt my position on this mystery. There simply
aren't enough facts to support my theory, no hard information upon
which to base my suppositions! It is almost as if we are in a cave
in the middle of the night, attempting to describe an animal by
touching only one part of it. We know there is something much larger
beyond what our senses tell us, but we are defied in our ability to
define it! I cannot help but suspect I have missed an important clue
and/or overlooked a vital piece of evidence. I wrack my brains even
as I write to you now, hoping that something will bring it up.
Perhaps there is truly nothing more than a simple robbery, but I am
inclined to think otherwise, even though I have nothing else to
support it.

The
information that Ekos and his men have uncovered have only confirmed
some of my suspicions; unfortunately, we need more than that. I need
to ask you a great favor, Estos: I need you to speak to the Hierarch,
if it is even possible. I need to know if his Holiness knows
anything, or is willing to reveal the information to us. I suspect
he has information that will give us another angle to this
confounding mystery. Tell him the Warder is dead and give him the
details; I realize this may aggravate his condition, but I
must know! I know you will be as kind and considerate as
can be possible.

I
suspect you have already written me and the letter is making its way
to the monastery; obviously I have not received it. Once I do I
shall write to you in haste and hope it arrives earlier than I do.
The election will continue for a few weeks yet; the mental and
emotional dynamic has changed with the passing of various men, so
time is necessary at this point. I will wait for your
correspondence.

Estos
sat back and pondered the issues in his mind. After several long
moments of thought he arose, getting dressed in his best robes and
headed towards the great temple of Oolaam.

* * * * *

He
waited in a small anteroom for an indeterminate amount of time,
curious to know why they were reluctant to allow him to speak to the
Hierarch. Was he ill? Was he asleep? Could he be, Oolaam forbid,
dead? He cleared the morbid thoughts from his head as a well-dressed
functionary entered the room quietly and walked over to Estos, bowing
perfunctorily as he did.

"If
the Hierarch is indisposed at the moment, I can return at a later
time," Estos said in a respectful tone. "My business is not that
pressing."

"I
am certain his Holiness would be happy to receive you, your Grace, if
he were in a position to do so," the functionary responded in a
voice that throbbed with emotion. "Unfortunately, he is rapidly
falling fast."

Disappointment
filled Estos' face, but before he could respond the massive pipe
organ buried within the chapel began to sound a solemn basso dirge.

The Hierarch had
finally departed the mortal realm.

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